St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-22
SAINT PAUL MATTERS.
Local Contractors and the Board of Edu-
cation Raise Small Breeze Over
Improvement Bids.
A Citizen Whose Wife Abused Him Gets
a Legal Separation in the Courts
of Justice.
Residents OF Dayton's Bluff Fear Aid.
Kahn in the Council--The
Ideals.
Improving Summit Avenue--Doings
in the Sixth Ward-- summary
of Mondays News.
FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Questions Involving New Build-
ings and the Heating and Vcnti-
InIing OF Old Ones Considered Last
Night.
AT the meeting OF the board of education
last evening twelve members answered to
..ol call. A petition for school building
at a point between York street on the south.
Lakes Como and Phaien avenue on the
north. Mississippi street on the west
and Edgerton street on the east, was read
and referred to the committee on real estate.
The Exhaust Nentilator company, of Chi
cago, submitted final proposition for
Ventlating the Madison, jefferson and Lin
coin school buildings for ST., H. This
was referred to the committee on buildings.
Miss Z. l.. Cooper, of the Longfellow
school. and Miss NJ. Mcbride. of the Adams
school, received certificates of success
and were confirmed. The committee found
that new grades have been introduced with
out authority into some OF the city schools,
and the board directed that it be stopped.
Several grades in the schools were ordered
changed. The committee on purchases and
supplies was directed to make contract
with the Pennsylvania Slate company for
school desks and ether supplies. The plans
for the additions 10 the Van Buren,. Jetfer-
son. Cleveland, Humboldt and German
school buildings was accepted and the see
rotary was directed to advertise for bids.
The Ruttan system of heating and yentilat-
ing was directed to be used in the additions
TO the Cleveland, humboldt. Van Buren, and
German schools. The committee to whom
the resolution i'll regard to the ventllating
of the Madison. jefferson and Sinclair
school buildings had been referred reported
in favor OF giving the contract to the Chi
cago. Exhaust Nentilating company. This
raised quite a little breeze. Mr.. Williams
objected and claimed that the material used
was cheap and OF not much value and that
other parties should have an opportunity to
put in bids. He claimed that MI Osborn
and other men in St. Paul wanted to offer
bids, but the star chamber proceedings of
the committee had prevented them. Mr..
PoStelthwait from the committee. denied
this, and said that all these parties were
united before the committee, and the secre-
tary exhibited written notice to the par
ties to appear. \ vote was taken, and the
contract was awarded to the Chicago COM
pany. The superintendent of penmanship
was directed to assist Prof. Taylor in his
work as superintendent, as far as possible
For this and his work in the schools he is
TO be paid $3.50 per month.
LOCAL CONTRACTORS KICK.
Members of the firms of Rodger & Davis
and E. F. Osborn were rather severe in
their criticism of the action of the board in
awarding the contract to the Chicago COM
pany. They claimed they had not had
fair chance to compete. Mr.. Osborn said
20 GLOBE reporter that he had
had no idea that the contract was
TO be awarded last night. He
mad prepared a bid and plans and specifica-
tions for the work and went to the meeting
of the board last night TO ascertain when it
would be necessary to submit them. He
thought local contractors had not been dealt
with fairly. Mr.. Rodger agreed with him.
They both claimed that the board had not
taken the proper method of securing bids.
They did not hesitate to say there was
.'woodchuck" somewhere, although they
made no accusations against any member of
the board The resolution of the board
under which the bids were called for by the
board, together with the notice to con-
tractors, is as given below, They were sent
out, last November.
Resolved. That the committee on real es-
tate is hereby requested to prepare plans
and specifications for heating by steam and
ventilating by the most approved and effect
i've mechanical appliances the Madison, JEFF
Terson and Lincoln school buildings; that the
committee also invite plans and specifications
from outside parties, with full details; that
the committee ascertain the approximate
cost of such different plans. and report to
this board no later than at the next regular
meeting.
In accordance with the instructions herein
above contained, the committee in charge de-
Slres 20 invite your tender of such PROPOSE
tion as YOU may desire to make, not in the
shape of q formal sealed BID. but full and
detailed statement showing the merits Of the
particular plan you may have to suggest, and
the approximate cost, if applied in detail, ac-
cordng to your idea.
To this both the firms above named re-
piled. Mr.. Osborn asked if parties fur
nshing plans and specifications would re-
reive compensation for their services and
added:
If so. should be pleased to furnish you
complete set OF working drawings. l beg to
state that to furnish you such drawing as
che resolutions Of your honorable board call
Eor would cost me or anyone else from $500
10 $500, depending upon the completeness
With which 1t was made.
Rodger and Davis also replied. their re-
Spouse. containing the following words:
We should be pleased at any time to SUBJ
NIT proposals for heating and ventllating
auy of the above mentioned school houses (or
any others) and will guarantee our work,
but are of the opinion that sealed bids, in the
ordinary way, would be alike fair and just
for all bidders.
The committee from the board claimed in
sheir remarks that the local contractors had
not appeared befole the committee nor SUBJ
nitted any bids, although they had had
ample notice, and that therefore no blame
could attach to the board if they did not get
the contract